Automatic train-pipe coupling



April 14, 1931. J. ROBINSON 1,800,660

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING Original Filed May 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVEN TOR. F111 /2 {L/QMm A TTORNEY.

April 14, 1931. J. ROBINSON 1,800,660

AUTOMATIC TRAIN PIPE COUPLING Original Filed May 15, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 %NVEIYTOR. J BY A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 1,800,660

:UNITED "STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH ROBINSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN-PIPE COUPLING Application filed May 15, 1923, Serial No. 639,222. Renewed February 21, 1930.

My invention relates to automatic train sistance to lateral movement of the coupling plpe couplings and has among its objects to head under the sharp whipping movement of provide an improved means for reducing the running cars. In most previous constructions, retroaction on the supporting spring of the and differing in this respect from the present pressure of the fluid carried in the coupling one, the rod mentioned is relied upon to prehead, whereby the head is supported with the vent undue rotation of the coupling head minimum resistance to longitudinal and about its longitudinal axis, which arrangelateral movement in all the positions it' asment requires the use of a much larger rod, surnes in service. This object is attained by and hence a much larger universal joint, than 10 providing the coupling head .with a pair of I employ. guides lying one in advance of the otherand To maintain the coupling head of previous on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of connectors in the normal coupling position, the head, the guides being joined by a. suba flange is usually employed to contact with stantially flat portion which extends diagothe rear face of the bracket, which construc- 5 nally from one guide to the other and contion requires that the supporting spring be stitutes the couplingface of the head. Exunder considerable initial compression in tending through this portion I provide a conorder to draw the flange against the bracket duit to contain the aforesaid fluid, the longiwith the several hundred pounds force retudinal axis of the conduit being arranged quired to properly sustain the head. Inas- 20 diagonallyto the longitudinal axis of the much as this force is transmitted to the head. In this manner the backward pressure bracket immediately opposing coupling of the fluid is divided between the guides of heads connect, it results-when added to the mated coupling heads and the supporting further compression of the spring occurring spring thereof, and the tendency of the heads in the act of couplingin overloading the to separate or .open up under such pressure bracket. In consequence the several parts of is minimized. Among the important advanthe connector, and especially the bolts which tages resulting from this arrangement is that secure the bracket to the car coupler, are

it permits of the use of a much lighter supplaced under excessively high stresses. In porting spring than has been possible hereaddition to this the high resistance of the tofore with coupling heads which do nothave supporting spring keeps the inner faces of some means'for positivelylocking them tothe car coupler knuckles in contact under gether. In the present construction the many conditions wherein they would otherspring need have only the resistance necessary wise be constantly breaking contact, or be to project the head forward into the'p'roper only lightly contacting, and this results in horizontal couplingposition, and hence it excessive wear on the knuckles-a very obmay be made much lighter and shorter than Jectionable feature. Likewise this heavy in the case of previous constructions and yet spring resistance frequently interferes with allow of the required compressional travel to the couplingof the cars, especially if the accommodate the relative movement between standing car be empty and on a slight down the cars. Shortening the spring materially grade, or on level track, with the brakes not reduces the overhang of the coupling head set. Under such conditions the car is frewith reference to the bracket and permits the quently pushed along the track unless the use of a bracket which is practically straight oncoming car approaches it at an objectionvertically. By reducing the length and size able rate of speed. of the supporting spring the rod which ties My invention, and the further objects the coupling head to the bracket may also be thereof, are fully described in the following reduced, thus permitting the use of a more specification, pointed out in the appended compact universal joint which, in conjuncclaims, and illustrated in the accompanying tion with the relatively low resistance of the drawingsin which:

50 supporting spring, materially reduces the re Figure l is a side elevation of my improved train pipe coupling with the usual train pipe hose29 and the nipple 11 omitted. Figure-2 is a rear view of thecoupling head 7 'ta'ken'on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectional view through my improvement, showing it icou- 'pled to a complementary couplingehead.

' Figure. 4:, is front view of the bracket taken on the line-4 4 of Figure 1. r

, My improved coupling head A comprise a pair of guides5 and 6 which may be either of-the form shown or such as is illustrated in my co-pendingapplicattion Serial 537,827, filed February 20, 1922, or of other suitable design. The guidesfare" arranged one'in front of the other and on opposite sides'of the longitudinal axis ofthe coupling head A, one of the guides being hollow or'ring shaped toreceive theothergas shown in Figure-3. The front :facefof one 'of the guides and thebase of the other are joined by a substantially flat-portion 7 'which. extends diagonally betweenthe guides, and is prefer ably formed integraltherewith andconstitutes the coupling face of the head Ag -In' thispportionan opening or aperture ,8 5 is formed and within this aperture I suitably mounuasiby a bayonet joint comprising in;

terl'ocking lugs 9 and10, shown in Figure 3,

I tud'lnal axis of tllGQOIldLlll} extends at about a j plane; of the front face, thereof. Thisfar a suitable conduit or'fitting 11. The longiangle, to the'longitudinal axis of the head, both ofwhichfaxes, and preferably the longitudinal axisof the supporting spring 'B'also intersect at substantially the center of'ithis portion and in approximately the rangem'entp'in'addition to having the ad:

vantages heretofore ascribed to 'it, provides av straight unobstructed course for the air through the, connectors, "and eliminates all" impediments therein to the quick flow ofthe "air-a verylimportantconsideration in it's 5 f i g upon the efficient operation bf th a1rbrakes. I

In the forward endofthe conduit 11, or otherwlse disposed in the a'perture 8, Imount a resilient gasket 12 which projects slightly beyond the coupling face of the head A, and f s adapted toabut a' complementary gasket] infa counterpart head or coupling, flhe gasket is provided witha groove l l'which the I alrenters-to force; the mating gasketsf into firm contact onelwith the other.v Thevcon structionfgives to mated gaskets a piston action which serves not 1 only to force" them into tight engagement but also to shift, .or

- force, the'guides, of mated coupling heads A laterally into tight engagement; That is to say, under thev pressure of the-fiuid-carriedguide 5310f mated heads will be forced; into tight e'ngag'ement. with the guide or ring 6 of such'heads at the pointl5, illustrated particularlyin Figure 3. T This produces an inte'rlock between mated heads, andthatit jmay formed on the rear side. of the head, the 'con- I duit 11 being positioned betweenfthese rlbs.

To ,yieldingly support the coupling head fromthe car Ir'provide a suitable bracket 0,

- attached-to the usual car'coupler as by means of a's'uitable lug D and bolts 18. The lower end of thebracket is open, as shown in ,Figures 3 and v4,andgisprovidedwith a con- 7 cave "semi-spherical seat or bearlng 19 onits front face to receive'a complementary'pivot device or, plate 20 the rearface of which s convex and semi-spherical. in form and 1s mounted on the seat 19 rocking or-l lui versal movementthereon, T 116 pivot device is provided with seat 21 to receive the buffer or supporting spring B; Astem. or. red 221s suitably securedto the coupling head A,

preferably as bythreadsas shown in Figure '3, and extends rearwardly 10f, the ihejad through the pivot device 20 and. theyseat] 19 of the bracket. Thepivot dev-ice isrprovided with an elongated shank23 to afiord a large bearing therein forthe rodthat' the rod may efficiently rockthe pivotdfevice; when thecoupling head m'oves to accommodate the. movements ofthe car. 1 The ,bulfer sprin'g is in terposed between the bracket and the couplingheadtA, and surroundslthe rod 22 and :rests at one end. uponthe seat flla'nd at their other endu'pon-the seat 21.; The rod or stem 22 is 'round'in cross section and of relatively small diameter which, taken with the relatively small diameter "ofithe sprin B, permits of the use of a compact universa joint,,formed bythe device 21 and the bear ing 19, which permits universal movement to the coupling head A with the lniliim m ofresistance. A suitable nut 24 is adjustably mounted upon the rearend of the rod 22 and serves to tie the coupling head 1:0,,- the bracket and to maintain the'buffer spring B under sufficient compression to insure the head beingjmoved to the proper coupling jpositiomshown in Figure 1,upon uncoupling, of the cars; f

To. adj ustably support the head, ag inst downward movement o and to prevent rota tionthereof, Iprovide a suitable rodormem= ber-25 connected in any desired manner to the *head' A, preferably pivotally v connected thereto as by means of a lug, 26t,eformed inte gralwiththe head, and a' pin 27. which passes through the'lug and the r0d th efitbetween these last. namedpartsbeing comparaltively tight.v 'Theupper end oftherodpasses loosely through an opening'formedfin the bracket atfa point considerably, abovethe pivot device 20 and threadingly receives a nut 28,, by which they rodmaybe 'adjustedlto the most eflicient usual rubber train pipe hose 29, shown in Figure 1, whereupon the fitting and the gasket may be extracted rearwardly from the head and renewed and replaced at will. The hose 29 is preferably clamped directly to the shank 30 of the conduit 11 in the usual manner, the torsional resistance of the hose serving to maintain the conduit in its interlocked position in the coupling head A.

The simplicity and reduced weight of the several parts of my improvement, and the use of a relatively small buffer spring B, effeet a material saving in the cost manufacture which renders the construction more accessible to the trade.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic train pipe connector, in combination, a coupling head having a front guide and a rear guide integral therewith and arranged on opposite sides of the general longitudinal axis of the head, the base of each of said guides being arranged substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the head, said head having a diagonal portion extending between said guides and across the longitudinal axis of the head, said diagonal portion having an opening therein, a conduit mounted in said opening and removable rearwardly therefrom, a stem adj ustably connected to said head with the axis thereof substantially in line with the center of said opening, a bracket, means for supporting the rear end of said stem on said bracket and a rod pivotally connected to said head and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom and engaging said bracket above said stem.

2. In an automatic train pipe connector, in combination, a coupling head having a front guide and a rear guide integral therewith and arranged on opposite sides of the general longitudinal axis of the head, the base of each of said guides being arranged substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the head, said head having a diagonal portion extending between said guides and across the longitudinal axis of the head, said diagonal portion having an opening therein, a conduit mounted in said opening and removable rearwardly therefrom, a stem adjustably' connected to said head with the axis. thereof substantially in line with the center of said opening, a bracket, means for supporting the rear end of said stem on said bracket and a rod pivotally connected to said head and extending rearwardly and upwardly therefrom and means adjustably mounted on said rod and engaging said bracket above said stem.

3. In an automatic train pipe connector, in combination, a coupling head having a front guide with the base thereof arranged substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the head and a rear guide also having its base arranged substantially at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the head, said head also having a portion arranged between said guides and extending diagonally of the longitudinal axis of the head, the front face of said portion constituting the coupling face of said head, said portion having an opening therethrough, a conduit mounted in said opening, means for removably securing said conduit in said opening whereby the same may be removed rearwardly from said opening while said head is coupled to a mating head, a stem adjustably connected to said head and projecting rearwardly therefrom with its axis substantially in line with the center of said opening.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

JOSEPH ROBINSON. 

